Date of Birth

Birth Name

Mini Biography

Silent moppet star Jackie Coogan, immortalized as Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid," had only one screen rival during the early 20s and that was none other than Baby Peggy. She was "discovered" while visiting the Century Studios lot on Sunset Boulevard with her mother when she was a mere 19 months old and went on to appear in nearly 150 shorts (between 1920 and 1923) and 9 feature films during her silent heyday. Often considered a precursor to Shirley Temple, Baby Peggy's most popular film vehicle was the child classic Captain January (1924), which would be made a decade later as a vehicle for Temple.

She was born Peggy-Jean Montgomery in 1918 of acting stock. Her father, Jack Montgomery, was a cowboy for years all over the western states. He ended up in the movies as a stuntman and extra driving stagecoaches and buckboards. He supported himself as Tom Mix's double, but never achieved the rugged stardom he yearned for himself. In fact, his daughter was the one who became the celebrity and breadwinner. Many of Baby Peggy's popular comedies were parodies of movies that grown-up stars had made, and she delightfully imitated such legends as Rudolph Valentino, Pola Negri, Mary Pickford and Mae Murray. Her first feature-length film was Penrod (1922); her first film with Universal, The Darling of New York (1923), shot when she was 3 1/2 years old, was a nice solid hit. A few more, including Helen's Babies (1924) were also certifiable winners. But by the age of 8, she was finished. Her fortune reportedly was depleted by her parents (similar to the Jackie Coogan situation) and within a short time was forced to turn to the vaudeville circuit for survival. A comeback in early talkies with the new moniker Peggy Montgomery, was very short-lived. Her credits, as a result, are often mixed with another actress named Peggy Montgomery, who was a western ingenue for many years. The former child star lived in dire straits and suffered from nervous breakdowns and near-poverty for many years until she found a new and unexpectedly successful career as a book publisher and writer, using the pseudonym Diana Serra Cary. As the author of "Hollywood Posse" (1975) and (later) "Hollywood's Children," she commented on her youthful career, post-stardom years, child stars in general, and Hollywood history in all its fascinating glory. Her own autobiography "Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy?" would be released in 1996.

Spouse

Trivia

Daughter of actor Jack Montgomery

Birth name is sometimes erroneously reported as "Margaret Montgomery." In her autobiography, Diana Serra Cary confirms that her real name was in fact Peggy-Jean, and that the suggestion of the name Margaret was actively rejected by her parents.

Interviewed in "Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television" by Tom Goldrup and Jim Goldrup (McFarland, 2002).

Personal Quotes

"I see it [my days in motion pictures] as all of a piece. It's kind of like putting a quilt together. Quilt-making is very good because everything becomes equally important and equally valid, and everything forms the core of yourself. So both the good and the bad - I always felt that was the hand life dealt, and I've tried to handle it as best I could. I don't have any rancor or any anger or anything toward anyone - or toward Hollywood. Even when it was happening, I realized it was nobody's fault, but you get hurt in spite of that. But, I'm very peaceful about it."

Where Are They Now

Writer of Hollywood history under the name Diana Serra Cary.

Baby Peggy in The Family Secret

Baby Peggy circa 1922.